Stylus-holding means



June 24, 1930. c s, WI KES 1,767,334

STYLUS HOLDING MEANS med Sept 2a, 1926 Patented June 24, 1930 UNITEDSTATES- oLnREiNoE s: wrcirns; or MERCHANTVILLE; nnw mnsnw, assranoaro'vvro'ronf TALKING MACHINEI'GOMPANY, neon'ronnrion or New amass srYUs-Howrne MEANS:

Application fil'edSepte mber28,1926, se; i a1 no. 1-ss,222'.

This invention relates to sound-recording and sound reproducingmachines, and more} particularly to means for maintaining the stylus ofsound-reproducing or recording 111'- strumentalities in. operativeposition.

'It has heretofore been customary to provide a screw having a knurledhead for re taining. the stylus in operativerelation with the stylus barof a sound box. The weight of the knurled head, of the retaining screwa'p preciably adds to the massthat must be vibrated and the inertia of,this mass tends to reduce the perfection of, the sound reproduced orrecorded by the device.

It is an object of this invention toreduce the mass that must bevibrated by the vibra'-' tory element ofsound recording or reproduc inginstrumentalities, whereby inertia effects are materially reduced, and amore perfect reproduction and/or recording of sound is see cured.Another object of this invention is to provide novelmeansof relativelysmall mass for maintaining the stylusin operative relation with thevibrating element of the recording or reproducing instrumentalities.

Otherobjects include the provision ofnovel non-vibratory meansfor-actuating the stylus retaining means whereby the stylus in use maybe readily replaced by a new stylus or needle. 7 g

The invention is capable of receiv ng a varietyof mechanicalexpresslons, and 1t will therefore be understood that the embodimentshown-on the accompanying drawings is for purposes of illustration'onlyand that said drawings are not to be construed as defining the limits ofthe'inve'ntion, reference being had to the appended claims for thatpurpose,

Referring toisaid drawings, wherein the same reference characters referto like parts in the two figures I Fig. 1 is a front elevation of asound-box embodying the present invention; and; a

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, detail, sectional View taken-on the line22 ofFig. 1.

In the form shown, the invention is illustrated as embodied in asound-box of the mechanical type but said invention is equallyapplicable to sound-reproducingand record ing" devices 'o'f theelectrical or electromag: net-i0 types. The sound-box illustrated ponprises a; c'asingj of any'suitable: size, shape, material and.construction, andv which ma be either a recording oria reproducing soundbox, and a" diaphragm, suitable size, sl1ape, material; and construe:tion', mounted in a'ny suitable way. Operatively connected tothediaphragm is a stylus barf havin rjonthe lower end'thereof'a'socketportion: 5 t atm'aybe cylindrical in shape, and is providedinteriorly, if desired, with a" triangularly or other suitably formedsocket 6 for receiving any suitable type of stylus? The stylus bar 4.51s oscillatably mounted not shown, of any on the casing in'any'suitable' manner. but

preferablyina manner described and claimed in the copendingapplicatiouof Haigis' and L. Y. Squibb, Serial No 115,54;5, fi led June 12, 1926,wherein the casing is provided with a pair of ring-like projectionswhich constitute retaining means for ja flexible stylus barniounti g. Itis to' be expressly understood, however, that the" particular mountingOfth stylusb'a'r constitutes no part" of the presentinvention." p I Inthe form shown, one of the ring-like projections 8 is provided withaportion 9 having a plane face (Figs which is inclined with respectt thelateral face of casing- 3. A member 10,'having the form of a socketwrench extends through an opening 11 in lug 9. The outer end of member10 is provided with a knurled head 10 while the inner end thereof isformed to constituteia socket 'member 10 Interposed between the inclinedface of portion 9 and the lower surface of knurled head 10*, is asuitable resilient member 12 which, in the form shown, is a coil-springsurroundingthe stem of wrench member" 10. f Threaded through the wall ofstylus bar socket portion 5, and adapted to eiflzei d into the socket 6,is a stylusretaini'ng end with a headed portion 13 a pted to be engagedby the inner or socket end of the wrench member 10. r

If it is desired to remove stylus 7 from engagement withstylus'bar 4, 5,the actuatg e fn e 1 is m ve inw rd y, g in the tension of spring 12,until the socket portion engages the headed portion 13 of retainingmember 13, whereupon 10 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction bymeans of the knurled head 10 and retaining member 13 is threaded out ofengagement with the stylus, whereupon the latter may be removed from thesocket 6. A fresh stylus is secured ini'position' by rotating retainingmember 13, by means of the socket wrench 10, in a clockwise direction.When the wrench member 10 is released, coil spring 12 returns saidwrench to the normal position, indicated in full lines in Fig. 2, out ofengagement with the stylus retaining member,-

and the stylus bar. Theweight usually resulting from the use of aknurl-headed adjusting member on the lower end of the stylus bar is thuseliminated, whereby the mass to electromagnetic vibratory element.

' be vibrated is materially reduced.

.It will therefore be perceived that a novel stylus holder haslbeenprovided which is simple in construction and operation, and

which enables the vibratory mass to be mate-.

rially reduced' Novel means are provided for mounting the actuatingdevice. for the stylus retaining member, whereby said actuating deviceis normally disengaged and automatically from the retaining member anddoes not vibrate therewith.

' While the invention has been shown and described as embodied in asound-reproducing or recording device employing a diaphragm, it is to beexpressly understood that the invention is not restricted thereto as theinvention is of equal applicability to soundreproducing or recordingdevices wherein, for example, the diaphragm is'replaced by an Referencewill therefore be had to the claims hereto appended for a definition ofthe limits of the invention. I

What is claimed is 1. In a sound-box, the combination with the sound-boxcasing, of a stylus bar carried by the casing, .a rotatable stylusretaining member carried by the bar, a wrench operatively associatedwith said member to release or engage the stylus, and means normallyretaining said wrench out of engagement with the retaining member.

2. In a sound box, in combination with the casing thereof,a stylus barmounted on said casing, a stylus retaining screw threaded transverselyin said bar, and a socket wrench slidably mounted on said casing andlongitudinally displaceable to engage the outer endof said screw, saidwrench being normally out of engagement with said screw.

3. In a sound box, in combination with the casing thereof, a stylus barmounted on said casing, a stylus retaining screw threaded transverselyin said bar, a socket wrench slidably mounted on said casing and longirtudinally displaceable to engage the outer end of said screw, andresilient means normally maintaining said socket wrench out ofengagement with said screw.

4. In a sound box, in combination with the casing thereof, a stylus barmounted on said casing, a stylus retaining screw threaded. transverselyin said bar, a socket wrench mounted on said casing in alinement withsaid screw, said wrench being longitudinally displaceable to engage saidscrew, and re silient means normally holding said wrench out ofengagement with said screw.

5. In a sound box, in combination with the casin'gthereof, a stylus barmounted on said casing, a stylus retaining screw threaded transverselyin said bar and having a squared outer end, a longitudinallydisplaceable sock et wrench mounted on said casing in alinement withsaid screw and having-its socket portion shaped to receive said squaredend, and means normally maintaining said socket wrench out of engagementwith said screw.

6. In a sound box, in combination with the casing thereof, a stylus barmounted on said casing, a stylus retaining screw threaded transverselyin said bar and having a squared outer end, a longitudinallydisplaceablesocket wrench mounted on said casing'in alinement with, said screwandhaving its socket portion shaped to receive said squared end, resilientmeans normally holding said wrench in normal disengaged position, and ahead formed in said wrench for displacing'the same whereby it iscoupledwith said screw for rotationto release or engage the stylus.'

7 A sound box comprising ,a casing, a stylus bar mounted on the .casing,a socket wrench slidably mounted on the casing, resilient meansinterposed between the wrench and said casing, and stylus retainingmeans carried by said bar,and adapted tobe en gaged by said wrench,saidresilient means being adapted to normally maintain thesocx et wrenchout of engagement with said stylus retaining means.

8. In a device of the class described wherein a stylus bar, providedwitha stylus retaining member, is mountedfor vibratory movement relativelyto a casing, an actuating device slidably mounted on said casing toactuate the stylus retaining member to release or engage the stylus, theactuating device being provided at its outer end with a manipulatingportion and at its inner end with a socket adapted to receive a portionof the stylus retaining member, and said device being, normally out ofengagement with said retaining member. g

9. In a device of the class described wherein a stylus bar, providedwith a stylus retaining member, is mounted for vibratory movementrelatively to a casing, an actuating device movably mounted on saidcasing to actuate the stylus retaining member to release or engage thestylus, the actuating despecification.

CLARENCE S. WICKES

